Item 6A. Award Construction and Consultant Contracts, and Provide Construction Progress Update for Mississippi Gateway Regional Park

Superintendent's Recommendation:

MOTION TO:

1. AWARD A CONTRACT FOR DECONSTRUCTION SERVICES AT MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK TO BETTER FUTURES MINNESOTA IN THE TOTAL BASE PROPOSAL AMOUNT OF $72,680 PLUS ALTERNATE NO. 1 IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,230 FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT SUM OF $82,910;
2. AWARD A CONTRACT FOR DECORATIVE CONCRETE AT MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK TO CONCRETE ARTS IN THE TOTAL BASE PROPOSAL AMOUNT OF $174,500;
3. AWARD A CONTRACT FOR PHASE FOUR SITE IMPROVEMENTS AT MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK TO SWAN COMPANIES IN THE TOTAL BASE BID AMOUNT OF $625,197.25 PLUS ALTERNATE NOS. 1 AND 2 IN THE ADD AMOUNT OF $269,534.90 FOR A TOTAL CONTRACT SUM OF $894,732.15;
4. AWARD A CONTRACT FOR PREFABRICATED PICNIC SHELTERS AT MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK TO ST. CROIX RECREATION IN THE TOTAL BASE PROPOSAL AMOUNT OF $361,301.32;
5. AWARD A CONTRACT FOR A PREFABRICATED SEASONAL RESTROOM AT MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK TO CXT INCORPORATED IN THE TOTAL BASE PROPOSAL AMOUNT OF $192,556;
6. ESTABLISH A TOTAL INCREASE TO THE CONSTRUCTION BUDGET OF $1,777,597 TO REFLECT THE ABOVE CONTRACTS, INCLUDING CONTINGENCY, FROM THE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED PROJECT BUDGET;
7. APPROVE AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO THE CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION CONSULTANT AGREEMENT WITH WSB & ASSOCIATES, INC. IN A TOTAL HOURLY NOT TO EXCEED FEE IN THE AMOUNT OF $95,469, INCLUDING REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES, AND TO ESTABLISH A TOTAL CONSULTANT FEE BUDGET INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $101,674 INCLUDING CONTINGENCY, FROM THE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED PROJECT BUDGET.

Prepared By: Jason Zemke, Senior Manager of Architecture, and Matt Swenson, Project Manager

Background:

The proposed contracts are to install the decorative ‘river feature’ concrete at the Gateway Center, to deconstruct the existing Visitor Center and Sumac Picnic Shelter, to construct Phase Four Site Improvements and install associated prefabricated picnic shelters, and install a prefabricated concrete seasonal restroom building at Mississippi Gateway Regional Park.

The first two proposed contracts were originally budgeted as part of the original Core Area Base Bid but it was not necessary to obtain proposals until now. The third and fourth proposed contracts are to construct Phase Four Site Improvements and associated prefabricated picnic shelters, for which funding was approved by the Board in the 2024 Asset Management Plan (AMP), and the fifth contract is for a CXT restroom for the West Unit, for which funding was approved by the Board using the City’s share of the 2023 State of MN General Fund Grant. The proposed consultant amendment with WSB provides the services needed to perform on-going construction administration on the project and includes testing and inspection services for Phase Four Site Improvements.

Bid Results (also refer to attached Bid Tabs):

Pricing for the first two contracts were obtained following the Park District’s informal proposal process, as follows:

• Deconstruction:
  • Proposals were solicited from two (2) contractors that regularly perform this specialized work. A Request for Proposal was issued on January 19, 2024 and proposals were received by March 1, 2024. Two proposals were received. The low proposer is Better Futures Minnesota (BFM), from Minneapolis, MN, with a total Base Proposal amount of $72,680. The Park District’s budgeted estimate of base cost is $72,100. In addition, BFM’s proposal included one (1) Alternate proposal, to deconstruct the Sumac Picnic Shelter, in the amount of $10,230. The proposed contract award includes the Alternate, resulting in a total Contract Sum of $82,910.
• Decorative Concrete:
  • Proposals were solicited from three (3) contractors that regularly perform this specialized work. A Request for Proposal was issued on March 18, 2024 and proposals were received by April 9, 2024. Two proposals were received. The low proposer is Concrete Arts, from Hudson, WI, with a total Base Proposal amount of $174,500. The Engineer’s estimate of probable construction cost is $170,000.

Pricing for the third contract was obtained following a public bid process, as follows:

• Phase Four Site Improvements
  • Advertisement for bids for this work was placed in Finance and Commerce and QuestCDN. Construction documents were issued on March 12, 2024. Bids for this work were received on April 9, 2024. There were ten (10) contractor plan holders of which three (3) submitted bids. The low bidder is Swan Companies, from Savage, MN, with a total base bid amount of $625,197.25. The Engineer’s estimate of probable construction cost is $587,041. In addition, Swan Companies’ bid included two (2) Alternate Bids for sub-projects that are part of the approved project scope: Alternate No. 1 – Upper Recreation Large Shelter - $63,279.20, and Alternate No. 2 – Wetland Boardwalk - $206,255.70. To construct these items in the future would be more difficult and more expensive. The proposed contract award includes all of the Alternates, resulting in a total Contract Sum of $894,732.15.

Pricing for the fourth and fifth contracts, prefabricated picnic shelters and a prefabricated concrete restroom building, supplied by St. Croix Recreation and CXT, respectively, were obtained utilizing Sourcewell. Sourcewell permits the Park District to purchase directly from vendors who have already competitively bid to provide their typical products and services at a discount through a cooperative purchasing agreement.

The Construction Manager, H+U, has evaluated and interviewed each of the low contractors for responsibility for compliance with the scope of work and contract provisions and has indicated that they meet the minimum contract requirements for this project. Construction work on all projects will be coordinated and timed with the larger Redevelopment project.

Construction Administration Services:

Staff recommends approval of a second contract amendment with WSB, the Engineer of record for the project, for on-going construction administration services and for the materials testing and inspections portion of the project in the hourly not-to-exceed fee amount of $95,469. The first amendment to the consultant agreement was approved by the Board in September 2023 for the design of additional project scope following the receipt of State Bond funding for Alternates. Funding for this amendment was already anticipated and incorporated into the overall budgeted soft costs for the project.

Project Update:

March brought a wide range of weather conditions, but construction crews continued their work where they could. (Refer to attached "Mississippi Gateway Progress Photos".)

The central portion of the West Unit Environmental Nature Area is now closed for construction beginning in April. Construction is scheduled to be completed and the affected area of the park re-opened this fall. The closure is needed to construct new park amenities in the core area of the park: the play area, dog off-leash area, archery facility, seasonal restroom, and parking lot.

While work is taking place, the dog-off leash area has relocated to the north side of the West Unit of the park, near the water tower. Trails in the southern part of the West Unit and the Rush Creek Regional Trail will remain open during construction.

In other areas of the project, the Gateway Center is now nearly enclosed with wall and roof sheathing. Over the next month, the last section of the structure – the laminated wood columns and beams that extend over the exterior walkway on the north side of the building – is expected to be installed. Underground utility work will continue in the upper level in preparation for the main level floor slab, and the lower level foundation walls will be backfilled as weather allows.

Progress on the maintenance buildings was slowed slightly while waiting for permanent power, but power is now hooked up and all systems and equipment will be tested and made ready for operation. When siding is complete on each building, the buildings will be put into operation as soon as they are available. Additional work to complete the Maintenance compound, such as fencing and storm ponds, will continue through the spring.

Finally, construction of the Reservation Shelter will resume after a short pause during the winter, steel for the Treetop Trail is on order and installation will begin when materials arrive, and construction will begin on the seasonal restroom in the coming weeks.

Budget Summary through 4/08/2024 (Park District Only):

¹Typically, whenever Expenses increase, there should be an equivalent reduction in Remaining Contingency, since contingency is generally used to fund cost increases that arise during construction.

²Currently unassigned funds from base budget.

Contingency Reserve Summary:

The overall construction project, including the West Unit, is approximately 50% complete. The value of work put in place since the previous Project update is just over $2.0 million.

For this budget update period, several construction contract Change Orders have been finalized, resulting in additional costs for the project. The value of these recent Change Orders is an additional cost of $61,791. The project had a previous net Change Order credit of $32,929. Therefore, the revised total construction contract contingency expenditure to date is $28,862, meaning that the project has now spent some of its construction contingency reserve. Additional Change Orders are in process and will be included in future budget updates to the Board as they are approved. At this time, both completed and proposed Change Orders have been in-line with a project of this size and complexity, and the Contingency Reserve is sufficient to address all Change Orders in process.

Approved Change Orders this period generally include additional work that was inadvertently omitted from the bidding documents (range hoods and associated duct work, utilities associated with Seasonal Restroom Alternate Bid), modification of a storm drain location to preserve a tree, and modifications required to accommodate field conflicts through adjustment of structural footing depths and utility service line locations.

Relationship to the System Plan:

The Request for Action supports the following goal(s) of the System Plan:

Goal 1: You Belong Here

Goal 2: Parks Matter

Goal 3: Lead by Example

Attachments:

Mississippi Gateway Bid Tabs.pdf

Mississippi Gateway Progress Photos.pdf